Once upon a Time Doctors

Matthew Cullen was outnumbered.

But he was not a man who gave up easily.

He was not a man who worried about making friends.

He was a man with very strong thumbs.

And he could go all night if he had to.

But now, morning was here.

What?

Ahh, no... No!

The battle was over for now.

But Matthew Cullen would be back...

after breakfast.

-Nice.

-Yeah, should have been here at sunrise, it was stunning.

So what have we got?

Large blood spill, no body.

Got a knife and a footprint.

-Fair enough.

-Yeah.

I'm interested to know

if someone could have lost that amount of blood and survived,

or if we're looking at a murder scene.

-It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Breakfast was his biggest challenge.

As his father used to say...

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Matt searched the cupboards.

But it was no good.

He realised he wouldn't be able to put it off any longer.

Matt would have to go...

to the shops.

-So?

-Can I see the knife?

Yeah. Angela, can we have a look at the knife, please?

It looks like the attacker got disturbed and dropped it.

See far too many of these for my liking.

Yeah, it looks a bit like the kind of blade used on Reece Lonsdale.

That's what I thought. It's definitely gang related.

Thank you.

Of course, it depends on where they were stabbed

and whether the victim was able to apply pressure,

get to a hospital quickly. They could have survived.

Fingers crossed. We're calling the hospitals now.

Cullen knew he was being followed.

Knew it like he knew how to breathe.

But who were they?

And how did they know his secret?

Secrets.

Everybody had them.

Take the woman who walked towards him now.

She looked pretty normal,

but Cullen knew that she had a large collection of

anatomically-correct garden gnomes

and a poodle named Mrs Thatcher.

He knew, and she knew he knew.

But she wasn't a threat to him.

Then there was Mr Personality here.

Cullen was told never to judge a book by its cover.

But when a book was bound in that much muscle and bad attitude,

it was hard not to.

Cullen kept his head down,

and before he knew it, he'd arrived.

Cullen knew what to do.

Grab the stuff and get out, quick as you like.

Easy. He'd done this before.

Except these things had a way of getting complicated.

And if he stayed too long, someone would notice.

Cullen couldn't afford to be noticed.

There.

The first part was in place.

Carry on like this and he'd be done in no time.

There he was.

Mr Personality.

Clearly, he was waiting for him.

Cullen would have to wait, but for how long?

Oh, Mrs Tembe. Your VPAS meeting this morning...

Yes, I have read the patient file

-and spoken to Dr Granger about Mr Cullen.

-OK, good.

Well, I know that Daniel has kept him on the anti-depressants

and that his social anxiety is a lot less,

and that's good, considering.

Of course. But he has missed a few appointments.

Yes, I know. It's also the first time he's lived alone.

Well, I have met Mr Cullen before.

I'm sure, if there's a problem, he will talk to me.

Good. Thanks, Mrs Tembe.

Right, it's just this way. Oh, sorry.

Actually, my boyfriend's supposed to be here?

Right. Well, Valerie will show him through when he gets here. OK?

Cullen was on a knife edge.

Someone was chasing him,

and Mr Personality's job was to keep him there

until reinforcements arrived.

Every second he stayed was a risk.

Finally, Cullen could take it no longer.

He decided to run.

He decided to run!

Oi!

Inspector?

What have you found?

Is that blood?

It looks like maybe the victim came this way,

put their hand up to steady themself.

This should give us an ID.

In case the victim's not feeling too chatty.

With any luck.

Angela.

HE PANTS

Matt was safe now.

Or was he?

Matt knew he would never be safe.

MATT SIGHS

Matt had been running from the day he could walk.

Matt knew that his next mistake could be his last.

MUSIC PLAYS

Matt had no idea what was about to happen.

VOLUME INCREASES

-I haven't seen you in a while, have I?

-Sorry.

No, it's fine. You're here now.

So, 32 weeks.

-Are you still living with your dad?

-Mm-hm.

Are you going to stay with him once the baby's born,

or are you going to be living with your boyfriend?

-Uh, living with my boyfriend, probably.

-Mm?

Probably?

Oh... Yeah, we haven't found somewhere yet. But we will.

OK. I bet your dad's really excited, isn't he?

Hmm.

He does know, doesn't he, Lil?

-Not exactly.

-All right. But he...

He'll be excited?

No, he'll throw me out.

Are you sure that he hasn't noticed, Lil?

Well, when I come home from school he's either at work or crashed out.

And I just wear baggy hoodies all the time.

Luckily, my bump's not very big so...

Hmm.

Is that OK?

Yeah, well, some women just aren't big, you know.

So, how is school and all of that stuff?

Yeah, I don't really hang out any more.

Does that mean that you don't really have anyone to talk to

-about all of this?

-No, I've got my boyfriend.

Yeah. Of course.

Good morning, Mr Cullen.

Mrs Tembe. Please, come in.

Did you forget I was coming?

Matt had forgot she was coming.

Sorry, Mrs Tembe. I had a late night.

It had been a while since Matt had had a visitor.

Well, this is a very nice flat.

Sorry about the mess.

Do not worry.

I am not here to judge.

Just to have a chat and see how you are getting on.

I'm fine.

Matt was going to offer her a cup of tea.

But then he realised he didn't have any milk.

Or any tea.

So...how are you settling in, Mr Cullen?

Matt remembered she used to call him Matthew.

Matthew.

Of course.

Have you met any of your neighbours yet, Matthew?

Some of them. They seem OK.

Matt knew she was here

because he had missed some doctor's appointments.

She wanted answers.

Is everything all right?

I'm fine.

Everything's fine.

Good.

Hello.

Got you a cuppa.

Oh, thank you.

I'm still twiddling me thumbs for England.

How about you?

Yeah, working on a knife crime.

Hey, Doc. We've ID'd our victim. Craig Benz.

-Went to school with Reece Lonsdale.

-Really?

Yeah. They've kept him at St Phil's.

I'm on my way over there now. Good work with the print.

Right.

Better get back to it, then.

Yeah, me too.

AMERICAN ACCENT: Agent Cullen had been interrogated

many times before...

So, what about meals?

..by men and women more frightening than Mrs Tembe.

Do you cook yourself, or is it mostly ready meals?

But she was smart. She knew the right questions to ask.

No, I cook. Dad showed me.

It was only a matter of time before she uncovered his secret.

And what a secret it was.

Well, that is very good.

There is nothing like a home-cooked meal.

MUSIC PLAYS

-VOICE RAISED OVER MUSIC:

-So, it must be quite a shock,

living on your own for the first time?

You said you had a late night?

What time do you normally go to bed?

If you are...

If you are sleeping late,

perhaps that is the reason why...

I'm so sorry.

Would you mind turning this down a little?

Sorry, I can't.

It is quite intrusive, and I...

If I turn it down I won't be able to listen.

To the music?

To you!

Is everything all right?

I'm fine.

I... I just can't hear with him talking all the time.

Him?

Austin.

What are you doing here?

Patient confidentiality, innit?

What, you're a patient here?

Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.

Loose lips sink ships.

-OK.

-Zara?

Thanks.

For coming to the funeral. You...

You didn't have to do that.

I wanted to.

-Thank you.

-KNOCK ON DOOR

Come in.

Austin!

Sorry, babe. The bus was so slow it was going backwards.

This is my boyfriend. And this is Ruhma.

What did I miss?

Nothing much. Lil was just saying that her dad doesn't know yet.

So, what about your folks, Austin?

There's my mum.

She's going to freak when I tell her.

Not like Lily's dad, though.

But there's no way she can deal with this right now.

OK, OK.

Well, we can talk about that later.

Now that you're here,

there is something that I need to talk to you both about.

OK.

I don't think that the baby is growing as well as we'd expect,

you know, at this stage.

What do you mean?

Well, it might not mean anything,

but I would like you to see a doctor today.

Here?

Yeah. Yeah, if you've both got time?

-Yeah, yeah. We've got time, yeah.

-Mm-hm.

OK.

Now, Lil, your notes say that you smoke?

Yeah.

Are you still smoking?

OK. Um...

When you're pregnant, smoking, it can harm your baby,

and it can affect your health as well.

Is that why...?

Well, let's... let's see what the doctor says, yeah?

If you want, I can refer you to the NHS stop smoking scheme.

I want to stop. I do.

All right.

So, when you say you hear voices...

Matt wasn't interested in answering her questions.

..do you mean your neighbours from next door?

Not my neighbour.

So, these voices are in your head?

She was getting too close.

So, how long has this been going on?

Matt wasn't going to answer that question.

Er, a month?

So since you moved in here?

He wondered what she was writing in her folder.

If I made you an appointment to see Dr Granger,

would you attend?

Matt knew that this was a bad idea.

I'm fine.

What about a home visit?

No.

Matt was worried they'd put him in a hospital

and not let him out again.

We need to make the voices stop.

I don't want that.

It could be something very simple.

Dr Granger could have a look...

I don't want the voice to stop!

It's my dad!

What about you, Austin?

Have you told Carlene?

I'll tell her when we have to.

If it's a boy, that might be good.

She might like that.

But if I tell her now...

It's...

I won't say anything.

Loose lips could get me struck off.

Austin told me about you.

Don't let that put you off.

That you tried to save Reece.

He says that you're going to put his killer in prison.

Well, I won't be doing that personally.

No, but you're going to tell everyone what you saw.

And that takes guts, man.

It's just what anyone would do.

Not from round our way.

Everyone keeps their mouths shut, even though

they know it's going to happen again, and again.

I haven't done anything yet.

No, but you will.

That's amazing.

What does he say to you?

Matt remembered how Mrs Tembe had been kind to him

when his dad went in to see the doctor.

Perhaps she wasn't so bad.

All sorts of things.

It's like he's telling a story.

About me.

And describing what I'm doing.

So, like a narrator.

He always used to read to me.

That's my first memory,

Dad reading me The Cat In The Hat,

doing all the voices.

Cos it was just me and him.

He saved all his books from when he was little.

And he said he couldn't wait to share them with me

when I was old enough.

Narnia...

The Lord of The Rings...

Matt always forgot about Harry Potter.

..and Harry Potter.

Although he was a bit grown-up when he read those.

That must have been wonderful.

Yeah.

And he was still doing it.

I mean, like, even last year, before he got sick.

We read A Farewell To Arms.

Ernest Hemingway, you know.

I do.

It's great. It's like this big action movie,

you know, there's this guy caught in the middle of a war.

And he gets blown up, but he escapes on a boat

and he meets this nurse, and...

And it's funny sometimes.

It's really, really funny.

Until it's not.

Until she dies at the end,

in the hospital.

It's nice having Dad talk to me.

Except, sometimes, it can be a bit distracting,

like when I go out.

Sometimes, I hear him saying what I'm about to do before I do it,

and that's a bit weird.

Like...

this morning, in the shop...

..I didn't want to run, but I had to.

Run from what?

Matt knew he shouldn't tell her.

But somehow, he couldn't stop.

Sometimes, people look at me, and I get stressed.

And sometimes, Dad will tell me what they're thinking about me

and I don't want to hear that. So...

..I don't go out.

And that's why I miss my appointments.

I see.

It just feels like I...

I keep messing up.

All I needed was milk.

And now you're here, and you're writing notes, and...

And sometimes Dad will...will say things,

and I know it's not the right thing,

but I find myself doing it anyway.

And if I start talking to doctors, then I'll lose the flat.

I am sure that will not be the case.

-It will!

-It will!

They'll put me in hospital.

And Dad said to me, before he died, he said, "You'll be OK."

He said I could cope. And...

..and I'm scared I'm getting it wrong.

I'm scared I'm going to let him down.

That I'm going to fail my dad.

I am going to refer you to the ante-natal unit,

just to double check.

See? Told you it would be OK.

Can you remind me of your due date?

Oh, Christmas Day.

Well, it's good to have a memorable date.

My son was almost born on Valentine's Day.

Have you been to any ante-natal classes?

One. With a mate.

Austin couldn't make it.

Just one?

Yeah, it was really boring.

Well, look, I know what you mean.

But...they are useful. It is worth sticking with them.

If you go to one nearby, you get to meet other mums.

Do you know where you're going to be living?

Well, have you had any thoughts

about how you want to have your baby?

In the hospital or at home?

Oh, I can't have it at home. My dad will go nuts.

OK. That's a start.

Why don't I fetch Ruhma, and we can chat about it some more?

What you are experiencing is not unusual.

And many people imagine they can hear the voices

of their loved ones in the months after their death.

-Really?

-Mm-hm.

You know, I have a friend from church.

When her husband passed away,

she would go to down to the garden shed and talk to him.

What did she say?

Just ordinary things.

Just about her day.

Or the garden.

He was a very keen gardener.

You know, sometimes she would read from the newspaper to him,

like she used to do.

My point is, I never thought there was anything wrong with her,

except that she was grieving.

OK.

And your father did not mean for you to cope all by yourself.

That is why it is important that you ask for help.

From Dr Granger or from any of us.

Look, you mentioned that you did not manage to finish your shopping.

Would it help if I came with you?

Yeah.

But...

it's not that simple.

Hello, Craig. How are you doing?

I'm DI Stanton.

Yeah, fair enough, that's usually where I lose the room.

Listen, mate, you're not in any trouble.

I just need to talk to you about what happened last night.

I've got nothing to say to you.

The doctor I work with said you did exactly the right thing.

Kept the pressure on, came straight here. Smart lad.

So, why don't you tell me who did this to you,

so we can stop it happening to someone else?

I didn't see, OK?

Really? They stabbed you in the gut and you didn't see?

He had a mask.

Maybe.

Anything else you remember?

Type of trainers he was wearing?

Any tattoos?

You knew Reece Lonsdale, right?

What of it?

No, no. I get it. You're scared.

I would be in your position.

Do you know the best way to stop being scared...?

Just shut up, will you?

Craig, just give us a name.

Just tell me who did this, so...

Just shut up!

You've got no idea.

Even if I did see something, I wouldn't tell you.

They'd kill me.

It's fine. Mr Borg was very understanding.

Thanks, Mrs Tembe.

Right, now, where shall we start?

Sure, the list looked innocent enough,

but Cullen knew it was actually some kind of code.

The question was, would he be able to crack it?

Matthew?

-I didn't finish telling you about my friend, now, did I?

-No.

Well, a few months after her husband passed away,

there was a cold spell.

She didn't go down to the shed so often.

Then, one day, when she went back,

she could not hear her husband's voice any more.

What happened?

Perhaps it was just time for her to let go.

I'll get the milk.

-Right. Well, I will get the tea and sugar.

-OK.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

As soon as he'd done it,

Cullen knew he'd made a mistake.

The silent alarm had been activated.

He only had seconds to get out.

Cullen knew he couldn't waste any more time.

Mrs Tembe would only slow him down. MATT BREATHES HEAVILY

-MATT'S VOICE:

-Matt knew he didn't really have to go.

Cullen knew he couldn't trust anyone, even himself.

Matt knew he didn't have to listen to the voice any more.

-He didn't have to listen to anyone but himself.

-Cullen knew he'd been compromised.

-La, la, la, I'm not listening!

-Cullen didn't know what was real any more.

-Cullen was lost.

-I'm not listening any more, Dad.

-He was lost.

I don't need to listen!

Matthew! Matthew.

Sorry, Mrs Tembe.

Listen.

What am I listening to?

Nothing.

He's gone.

He has?

Well, that is good.

That is very good.

Yeah.

Right. Well, er...

There are still a few things that we need to find.

OK.

You're a smart lad, Craig.

You could go to college, get away.

You can do that.

Great. And what about my dad? And my sister?

And my auntie, and my cousins?

Do we all get to go?

What if we could have this gang shut down for good, hmm?

We've got other witnesses.

What do you need me for, then?

What about Reece?

Do you think he deserved what happened to him?

What makes you think you can go back to them again, anyway?

How long do you think you'll last before it happens again?

Craig,

what are you going to do when you leave this hospital?

I can't risk it.

OK.

If you change your mind...

Hey.

How do you know Austin?

Is he a patient?

It's complicated.

Right.

He's a nice lad.

He is.

Zara, I'm going to have to call Social Services.

It's a shame.

I'm just not confident

Lily's going to get the support she needs at home.

I agree.

And Austin's home situation, it sounds really precarious,

from what I can work out.

I know his mother.

They're going through a tough time.

Right, well, there you are, then.

We'd have to tell Social Services anyway, as she's under 16.

They are so young.

And they're going into this without any preparation.

Sure they'll be fine. It's just a safety net.

I hope you're right.

Yeah.

He can hear what, sorry?

His father's voice.

He used to read to him before he passed away.

I think he draws comfort from it.

If he's hearing voices, whoever they are,

then that's something that needs to be addressed.

I think he is anxious that he may be hospitalised.

I'm sure it will not come to that.

And he does say that the voices have stopped.

How do you know that?

Or that he's not lying?

Or that, if the voices do come back,

they might tell him to do something dangerous?

I mean, the idea of these visits

is that we check on vulnerable people and gather information,

not make decisions about treatment.

Yes.

Yes, Dr Granger.

I have arranged for Mr Cullen to come and see you this week.

I'd like to see him tomorrow, please.

Yes, of course.

Thank you.

Dad?

Dad?

Dad, please, are you there?

It's OK, Matt.

Dad?

You're going to be OK, son.

It'll take a little time.

But you're going to be fine.

You've got this.

Thanks, Dad.

HE SNIFFS

GAME RESUMES

How did it go at the hospital?

-He didn't want to talk.

-Can you blame him?

Honestly, no.

Luckily, we have our star witness for the Lonsdale murder,

and she's not so easily scared.

-Actually, I know Zara.

-Same practice, right?

-Yeah.

Does she know what she's letting herself in for?

Yeah, she's fine. She's not from that world,

-so she never gave her name out.

-Right.

Plus, she don't seem the type who's easily bossed around.

-She's pretty tough, right?

-Yeah, she is.

There you go. Job done.

I'm jealous?!

Yeah, we have Joe. We have Isobel.

And you're reduced to borrowing people's children

because you have none of your own.

You haven't aged a day.

All these years, not a single wrinkle.

Yes, I do have good genes.

Did you know you've got rats?

About so big.